1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to recording and reading data from magnetic storage media and, more particularly, to servo control systems that maintain the position of a magnetic head relative to tracks in magnetic tapes.
2. Background of the Invention
As the magnetic storage of information becomes more sophisticated, greater amounts of data are packed into smaller volumes of space. In storing large amounts of data on a magnetic tape, multiple “tracks” of data are stored paralleling the length of the tape. The number of tracks that can be stored on a particular width of tape depends on the sensitivity of the technology used, but it is currently possible to have hundreds of tracks on a ½ inch wide magnetic tape.
A major hurdle in recording and reading data from these hundreds of tracks is the lateral movement of the tape media as it traverses the read/write head. This is overcome by manufacturing the tape with recorded tracks of servo information at various lateral locations across the tape. These servo tracks provide information that allow the servo mechanisms in a tape transport to correctly position the head with respect to the data tracks.
FIG. 1 shows a diagram of a tape and read/write head. Tape 100 has a number of servo tracks 101–105. Data is stored in bands 106–109 between servo tracks 101–105, with each data band containing a given number of tracks, depending on the technology. In these examples, read/write head 112 contains three servo read elements 114, 116, 118 and a number of data read/write elements that are not specifically shown; read/write head 112 can be positioned over an upper portion 124 or a lower portion 126 of tape 100. Read/write head 112 is made wider than the tape so that no matter what its position, the head 112 supports tape 100. Servo read elements 114, 116, 118 read the information from the servo tracks; from this, the servo mechanism can calculate any movements necessary to maintain the proper position of read/write head 112 with regard to tape 100.
The servo tracks, in addition to providing positioning information for the servo mechanisms, can be encoded to carry additional useful information, such as identifying the individual servo tracks and the current longitudinal position along the tape. As a tape stretches over its lifetime, the servo tracks can also be used to adjust for the distortion.
There are a number of different methods of coding information in the patterns written in the servo tracks. One very useful method is timing-based coding, as it provides a method of position sensing that is insensitive to reading speed. This method is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,021,013, which is hereby incorporated by reference. In this patent, each servo track is written with a repeating cyclic sequence of two patterned lines whose separation from each other varies in a consistent manner across the width of the servo track, with periodic gaps in the pattern to serve as a starting point for the pattern. Two exemplary patterns 200 and 300 from this patent are reproduced in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. The time A between the detection of two dissimilar lines is compared to the time B between the detection of two similar lines. The value of A:B reveals how far off center the servo read head is at the time of reading, and thus the amount of correction necessary to properly locate the read head. Using this ratio rather than distances allows for the fact that the tape can be moving at different speeds or may have stretched slightly. Thus, it is possible to maintain a position over a given band of data.
While the two patterns 200, 300 demonstrate the principles of timing-based servo patterns, it has been found that single comparisons of A and B are not enough for accurate measurements. Therefore, nested patterns, such as pattern 400 shown in FIG. 4, are more commonly used. Using a nested pattern of four chevrons, four measurements can be taken across a given length of tape; their averaged value of A:B is much more accurate. The detection of an expected sequence of stripes (generally, two sets of five followed by two sets of four) also provides an efficient means of error detection, as the software can immediately detect when an expected input is not found.
To provide the high accuracy necessary, the tape is recorded on a special servo-track machine. The first portion of the recording head contains an erase head, which erases the entire width of the tape, followed by a single-coil, multi-gap write element, capable of writing all servo tracks on a tape in one pass. Unlike normal data write elements, which are continuously powered and switch from one polarity to the opposite polarity repeatedly, the servo write element is switched on and off and normally writes in only one polarity. Additionally, the write element is patterned, so that a each time it is powered, it produces an image on the tape of the patterned write element. By controlling the switching of the write element as the tape moves across the head, the pattern is repetitively written on each of the servo tracks. For a nested pattern, images of both the left and right component of a pattern are written simultaneously to maintain the accuracy.
Creation of the pattern shown in FIG. 4 is demonstrated in FIGS. 4A–J. In this example, the figures show the same section of the tape as it moves from right to left across the write head. The portion of the tape that appears white has already been erased. FIG. 4J is a timing pattern that shows when the write element is pulsed, while FIGS. 4A–I show the tape sequentially after each pulse. Looking at FIG. 4A, the first pulse P1 of the write element has produced an image of the pattern that is on the write element, creating the two-chevron pattern 410-1. FIG. 4B shows the tape after pulse P2 has written pattern 410-2, FIG. 4C shows it after pulse P3 has written pattern 410-3, FIG. 4D shows it after pulse P4 has written pattern 410-4, FIG. 4E shows it after pulse P5 has written pattern 410-5. After the initial five pulses, the write element is not pulsed again until the initial five nested chevrons 410-1 through 410-5 have all passed the write element, then four further pulses P6–P9 write the pattern of four nested chevrons 410-6 through 410-7. The process will continue until all servo patterns are written along the entire length of a tape.
In order for the timing based servo patterns to work properly, several factors that can adversely affect the outcome must be taken into account. First, the servo read elements must be much narrower than the servo track, so that each servo read element detects only a narrow width of the pattern created. This serves to minimize tracking errors due to false position signals. Secondly, all of the pattern lines are written using a uni-polar write current and the timing is measured only between magnetic flux transitions having the same polarity (e.g., always timing the transition at the beginning of a line). Variations in the write head or the writing process, as well as other difficulties can cause apparent shifts in the timing of transitions having opposite polarities, so opposite transitions are never compared.
In order to position the read head 112 of FIG. 1 over the correct band of data 106, 107, 108, 109, different patterns are used for different servo tracks. For example, if pattern 200 is used on three servo tracks 101, 102, 105 of FIG. 1, and pattern 300 is used on servo tracks 103 and 104, then by reading two adjacent servo tracks and recognizing their patterns, it is possible to determine which data band is between the two servo tracks, using the following Table 1:
Upper servo patternLower servo patternData band200200106200300107300300108300200109
Within the servo tracks, additional information, such as the longitudinal location, can be encoded by varying specific portions of the pattern, such as the distance between successive groupings of the pattern. Because servo tracks are typically recorded at a much lower density than the data tracks, they can be read at high speeds. This ability to read longitudinal data at high speeds makes searches much more efficient.
While the beauty of a timing-based servo system lies in the fact that it utilizes comparisons rather than individual symbols, this very concept also confines it. Since meaning is only carried in comparative relationships, the density of information is necessarily low. It would be desirable to carry additional information in the timing pattern without destroying the timing pattern itself.
One solution that has been disclosed is U.S. Pat. No. 6,169,640. This patent discloses using, for example, four servo tracks on which the timing patterns are identical, but not synchronized with each other. Rather, as seen in FIG. 8 in U.S. Pat. No. 6,169,640, the two inner tracks 102 and 103 are offset a given amount from the two outer tracks 101 and 104. The result is that each adjacent pair of servo tracks exhibits a different timing relationship as compared to the other pairs of servo tracks, providing identification of the servo tracks by this offset. However, this scheme comes with its own drawback. Since the servo tracks are not synchronized with each other, the software must be concerned with phase differences between the servo tracks when creating a position error signal. It would be beneficial to identify the tracks without losing synchronicity.